Before becoming a resident in a Sufi khanegah, dervish ‘Abdullah lived the life of a traveling dervish. He, for instance, worked for seven years in Rome as a provider of care to the elderly. This work was somewhat frustrating as it was difficult for him to adjust to the demands of the Italian culture.

The elderly Mrs. Corrado was quite demanding. She didn’t like to be dependent on others. That’s why she insisted to be of service to her caretaker. She decided to teach Italian to dervish ‘Abdullah. Dervish ‘Abdullah, however, found it difficult to memorize the Italian words as taught by Mrs. Corrado.

He talked about this situation with Maria Martinelli, who was the caretaker of Mrs. Elsas. Maria told him how she was able to connect with her client. Mrs. Elsas, one day, showed Maria her beautiful bathroom and told her that because of the physical limitations of her age, she no longer could make use of it. When Maria told her that she was willing to help Mrs. Elsas, the old woman responded:
“What a rediculous idea!”
Maria then told her about her own mother. She nursed her until her death. After hearing that Maria really missed her mother, Mrs. Elsas was willing to be helped.

Dervish ‘Abdullah hoped to convince his own client that she didn’t need to pay him back by teaching him Italian. That’s why dervish ‘Abdullah in a most friendly way told Mrs. Corrado that he no longer had a grandmother.
“I miss her at times, so walking with you would be very rewarding in itself.“
Mrs. Corrado then looked at dervish ‘Abdullah and said:
“Per favore! Prendi in giro qualcun altro! – Please! Not a donkey would consider that to be true!“